Open AccessPhotoinduced Disaggregation of TiO2 Nanoparticles Enables Transdermal Penetration
Author(s) -
Samuel W. Bennett,
Dongxu Zhou,
Randall E. Mielke,
Arturo A. Keller
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0048719
Subject(s) - nanoparticle , penetration (warfare) , transdermal , particle size , chemistry , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , van der waals force , chemical physics , biophysics , materials science , molecule , organic chemistry , medicine , operations research , engineering , pharmacology , biology
Under many aqueous conditions, metal oxide nanoparticles attract other nanoparticles and grow into fractal aggregates as the result of a balance between electrostatic and Van Der Waals interactions. Although particle coagulation has been studied for over a century, the effect of light on the state of aggregation is not well understood. Since nanoparticle mobility and toxicity have been shown to be a function of aggregate size, and generally increase as size decreases, photo-induced disaggregation may have significant effects. We show that ambient light and other light sources can partially disaggregate nanoparticles from the aggregates and increase the dermal transport of nanoparticles, such that small nanoparticle clusters can readily diffuse into and through the dermal profile, likely via the interstitial spaces. The discovery of photoinduced disaggregation presents a new phenomenon that has not been previously reported or considered in coagulation theory or transdermal toxicological paradigms. Our results show that after just a few minutes of light, the hydrodynamic diameter of TiO 2 aggregates is reduced from ∼280 nm to ∼230 nm. We exposed pigskin to the nanoparticle suspension and found 200 mg kg −1 of TiO 2 for skin that was exposed to nanoparticles in the presence of natural sunlight and only 75 mg kg −1 for skin exposed to dark conditions, indicating the influence of light on NP penetration. These results suggest that photoinduced disaggregation may have important health implications.